Means for sealing envelops and affixing stamps thereto.



No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. A. M. MOYLAN & S. T. TRACY. MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELOPS AND AFFIXING STAMPS THERETO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1907.

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gnuznfozs No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

A. M. MOYLAN,& S. T. TRACY. MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELOPS AND APPIXING STAMPS THERETO.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 26. 1907.

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AJHI|AHHAHHAAHAAA r attoznaqa No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

A.- M. MOYLANK: S. T. TRACY. MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELOPS AND AFFIXING STAMPS THERETO.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 26, 1907.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

we 1'11 eases No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. A. M. MOYLAN & S. T. TRACY. MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELOPS AND AFPIXING STAMPS THERETO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1907.

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No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

' A. M. MOYLAN & S. T. TRACY.

MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELUPS AND AFFIXING STAMPS THERETO.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 26, 1907.

s SHEETSSHEET 5.

V v V 4 (90 .26 2a AHHHHWWI 1 I I I mmy lllmmll "U M Suva nfozE Qqi l names attorneys No. 887,829. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. A. M. MOYLAN & S. T. TRACY.

MEANS FOR SEALING ENVELOPS AND AFPIXING STAMPS THBRETO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1907.

e SHEETS-SHEET e.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER M. MOYLAN AND SEAB T. TRACY, OF CENTURY, FLORIDA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19,-1908.

Application filed March 26, 1907. Serial No. 364,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, ALEXANDER M. M OY- LAN and SEAB T. TRACY, citizens of the United States, residing at Century, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Sealing Envelo s and Afiixing Stam s Thereto, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates broadly to the class of label affixing machines, and more specifically in its present embodiment and adaptatron to machines for sealing and stamping envelops.

The primary object of our invention is an envelop sealing and stamping machine capable of using stamps in the sheet form in which they are now sup lied by the Post OfiiceDepartment, and t ereby possessing material advantages over that class of stampmg machines which are so constructed that they can only operate upon stamps arranged in a roll.

A further object of the invention is a machine of this character which is so constructed, and the parts of which are so arran ed that the machine may be commercially valuable and used as an important office adjunct for the sealing and stamping of mail matter.

' A further object of the invention is to pro vide broadly a machine whichmay be fed with a stack of envelops and with a sheet of stamps as they come from the Government officials, perforated and gummed, and which will, by automatic means, sever a strip of stamps from the sheet, feed such strip forward y with an intermittent motion, sever one stamp after another at the proper time, and convey said stamp to the affixing point and moisten it in its travel, and at the same time convey one envelop afteranother to the sa d affixing oint, moisten the flap and seal it in its trave and then finally affix the stamp to the sealed envelop and deposit-the sealed and stamped envelop in any desired receptacle ready to be deposited in the mails.

With these main objects in view and with other objects that will be hereinafter. set

forth, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts which we shall now specifically describe and then point out the novel features, combinations and sub-combinations thereofin the appended claims.

F or a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire'a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawin s, in which:

Figure 1 is a front e evation of an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a top lan view, the knives and other portions 0 the machine above the bed of the feed table bein omitted. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the fee table entirely removed or omitted; Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view, the section being taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 1s a similar view, the section being taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, but with parts shown in Fig. 6 that are omitted in Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the strip feeder, a portion thereof bein broken away; Fig. 8 is a detail sectiona view, with parts in side elevation, of the suction bellows which is used in the present instance as a mechanical expedient to maintain a constant suction for the envelop and stamp conve ers; Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view'on the ine 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a sideelevation, partly broken away of the stamp conveyer; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of the envelop conveyer; and, Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the hollow shafts or axes upon which the conveyers are revolubly mounted.

Corresponding and like parts are referred and it is preferably composed of two main side castings provided with suitable brackets for the support of the different elements.

The feed mechanism for the stamps comprehends a feed table, the bed 1 of which is mounted at the u per end of the framework in a horizontal p ane andwhich is formed with a series of transversely extending slots 2, a longitudinal cutter slot 3, and a longitudinal channel 4 to one side of and parallel with the cutter slot 3, and alid or cover 5 may be hinged to folddown over the bed, said cover being flat like the bed and bein held in closed position and slightly elevater from the bed so as to form a assage or contracted chamber over which the sheet of to register with the slots 2 when the stamps is intended to slide. The cover 5 is preferably formed with grooves 5 adapted cover s in closed position.

'As will be seen by reference to Fig. 9, the cover 5 in closed position terminates flush with the cutter slot 3, and beyond said slot and the opposite side edge of the table said table is provided with a stationary plate 6 spaced from the bed and adapted to form therewith a longitudinally extending passage for a strip of stain s after it has been severed from the 4 entire s met.

In order to feed theshe'et over the surface of the table bed 1, we provide a series of upright rubber feeders 7 mounted to travel in therespective slots 2 and each of which is provided with a short s ur 8 at its upper end adapted to so engage t e sheet of stamps as to impart a positive movement thereto. These feeders 7 are mounted upon a feed rack 9 which is formed, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 6 with depending arms 10 having slightly rounded, horizontally extending portions 11 arranged for slidin movement in correspondingly shaped soc ets formed in thelevers 12. These levers are mounted to rock slightly in a vertical plane and are swung by their outer ends from hangers 13 dependin from the upper portion of the framewor r. The inner ends of the levers 14 are jointed together, and one of said levers is provided witha depending arm 15 carrying rollers operatively engaged by acam 16 on the shaft 17. The sole urpose 'of the levers 12 is to raise and lower tfie feed rack 9 so that the feeders 7 may be brought into operative engagement with the sheet of-stamps laid on the table. In order to actually feed the sheet, the rack 9 is mounted for sliding movement. in a transverse direction upon the levers 12which form a support therefor, and to effect this sliding movement to feed the sheet, we have provided a bar 18 which is secured at one end to the rack and is pivotally' mounted at its other end upon some convenient cross bar of the framework. This bar 18 is provided with a roller 19 as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 6, said roller 19 of the cam disk 20 t working in a curved roove in the periphery at is mounted on, the

shaft 17 close to the cam 16. The rear end of the feed rack 9 is slotted as indicated at 21 and is supported at its slotted end by means of pins'22 suspended from vertically slotted hangers 22 depending from the bed 1 of the feed table, so as to rovide uiding means for the feed rack w ich wilf permit it to move both vertically and horizontally. As the shaft 17 turns, it is to be understood that the levers 12 will be rocked to carry the feed rack 9 upwardly and will hold said rack at theupper limit of its movement with the feeders 7 in engagement with the sheetof stamps, while the continued movement of this connection between the knife bar forwardly. In this 'while it is held in raised said shaft will effect the lateral shifting of the rack by means of the cam 21) so as to move 'all of the feeders within their slots and carry the sheet along the table until one strip of stamps shall have projected over beyond the channel underneath the plate 6 with the first line of perforations resting immediately above the cutter slit 3. the shaft 17 in its rotation is to lower the feed rack 9 and move it back to its initial position ready to feed the sheet to the right again, when the proper time arrives.

In order to sever a strip of stamps from the The next action of sheet when the sheet has been thus fed over the bed 1 of the feed table, hangers 23 depend from the feed rack 9 and said hangers are connected by upwardly extending pivoted links 24 to the vertically reciprocating knife bar 25 guided in suitable ways in the sides of the feed table and adapted to move downwardly within the cutter slot 3. By and the feed rack 9, as the latter is lowered after it has fed the stri across or beyond the slot 3, it will pull'the knife bar downwardly and sever a strip from the sheet, the strip resting underneath the plate 6, in position to be fed articularly noted that the knife bar 25 is ormed with a cutting edge producing a series of V-shaped cutters, and the arrangeconnection it is to be ment is such that the points of these cutters will enter first at a oint midway of the stamp along the line of perforations and cut outwardly towards both corners of the stamp, the aggregate of cutters thus severing theentire strip. The stri is next fed forwardly along the feed tab e at right angles to the movement of the entire sheet, by means of a stri feeding rack 27 which carries a series of upwardly 'extendin strip feeders 28 projecting into the cl1anneI4 and provided with spurs 28 adapted to impinge against the underside of the strip. The'rear end of'the strip feedin rack 27 isformed with a slot, as indicate at 29 and is guided in its back and forth movements by means of a pin 30 received in said slot. The rack 27 is provided at one side and preferably at about its middle with a roller 31 ada ted to be enga ed by a lifting cam 32 wliich is mounts on the shaft 33. Thus the rack 27 is raised and lowered into and out of operative contact with the severed strip of stain s and in order to move the rack forward y position by the cam 32, said rack is provided with a forwardly pivotedarm 34 formed-at its extremit with a downwardly facing hook 35 adapte to be engagedbya pin 36 projecting from one side .of the stamp conveyer 37 hereinafter specifically referred to. This conveyer is mounted to revolve on-the shaft 38, and as it revolves, its pin 36will engage the hook 35 and pull the feed rack 27 forwardly until the 3 strip shall have been moved far enough to cutter.

pro ect the stamp beyond the slip forming As the cam disk 32 continues to rotate and finally ermits the rack 27 to lower, the arm 34, Wit its projection 39, descends upon the stationary trip pin when the arm 34 comes intocontact with said pin. While the rack is lowering, the pin 40 swings the arm 34 relatively upward, thereby causing the disengagement of the hook 35 from .the pin'36, at the same time the roller 41 on the cam disk 32 will engage the depending bracket 42 formed on the rack, and thereby return the rack to its initial position.

' In the forward movement of the rack 27,

an arm 43 carried thereby and projecting forwardly therefrom is brought into engagement with a lug 44 projecting from the spring retracted slip forming cutter 45 mounted to reciprocate vertically and designed tosever one stamp at a time as it is depressed by the arm 43.

The severed stamp is at once received upon a pad 46, preferably of rubber, 'which is mounted in the eriphery of the stamp conveyer 37 prefera ly in a slightly pro'ecting or raised position, said pad being formed with ports 47 (four in number, in the present instance), said ports communicating with a chamber at the outer end of a radially extending air passage 48 in the conveyer 37.

The stamp will be caused to adhere to this pad 46 by suction, the specific means to es- 'tablish the suction being hereinafter described, and as it is carried around on the periphery of the conveyer cylinder 37, it will ave its gummed side wiped past a moistening roller 49 supplied from a moistening res-- ervoir 50. The stamp is finally brought, in the rotation of'the conveyer cylinder 37 to the afiixing point which, in the present'instance is at the lower limit of movement of the pad 46 inits revolution and where it is pre sented to the face .of the envelop. p

Having thus described the feeding of the sheet of stamps over the feed table, the operation of severing a stri of stamps from the sheet, the operation of ceding the strip forwardl and severing a stamp'from it, and the adhesion of the severed stamp to the rotary conveyer 37, .we shall now describe the mechanisms for sealing the envelo s or the like packages, and the feeding of t e envelops to the'stam aflixing point and the operation of affixing t e stamp to the envelop.

The envelops are set edgewise 1n the stacking boX 5] with their open fla s facing a pair of spiked lifting devices 52 t at are secured to a rearwardly facin moistener 53 ada ted to reciprocate vertica ly and provided with a reservoir 54.. In order to raise the moistener and envelop lifters 52, we have provided a pair of rearwardly facing racks 55 meshing with se ment gears 56 on theshaft '57. As

the sha t 57 rotates, the spikedlift-ers 52 will 4 be carried upwardly underneath the flap and lift the envelop at its ends. The moistener 53 is justlbelow the ends of the spiked lifters 52 and as the lifters and moisteners rise together with the envelop carried by the lifters, the flap will be pressed outwardly by means of a guard 51 against the moistener which latter will effectually wet the gummed edge of the flap. As the moistener and lifters reach the up er limit of their movement, the u per edge 0? the envelop is caught by means of a roller 58 on the shaft 57 and a companion roller 59 on the shaft 60, the segments 56 at this time becoming disengaged from the racks and permitting the lifters and moistener to drop down forv subsequent action. It is to be noted that the rollers 58 and 59 press the moistened fia to the back of the envelop and effect the sea ing of the latter, and they are of a width to fit between the spiked lifters 52 and hence they interfere in no wise with the action of said lifters.

61 designates the envelop conveyer which is in the form of a revoluble cylinder mounted upon the shaft 62. This cylinder is provided with diametrically opposite air passages 63 which communicate with the periphery of the cylinder and through which air is adapted to be drawn so as to cause the adhesion of the envelop to the peri hery of the cylinder. In order that the enve op may not adhere to the cylinder until the lower edge of the envelop shall have just passed out from between the rollers 58 and 59,. we provide the periphery of the cylinder with raised portions or guards 64 at its ends, in registry with the two pairs of exhaust or suction passages 63, these guards providing shoulders at their extremities contiguous to the passages, and hence not only holding the envelop away from the end of the passages and preventing any ad hesive action from taking place, until the proper time, but also insuring the proper alinement of the envelop on the periphery of the cylinder, by their abruptly ending shoulders, clearly illustrated in the drawings. As the envelop is carried upwardly on the cylinder conveyer 61, it passes under curved guides 65 and its upper right hand corner meets the stamp as the latter is carried downwardly towards it by the oppositely rotating stamp conveyer 37 The peripheries of the two cylinders 37 and 61 are in such proximity that the stamp will be firmly pressed against the face of the envelop and caused to adhere thereto and the then stamped envelop will be carried rearwardly and deflected by curved guards 66 into any suitable receptacle.

In the present instance the mechanism for maintaining a suction in a central direction from the passages 63 and 48,comprises a suc';

tion bellows 67, which, as best seen in Fig. 8, l

embodies a middle stationary section secured in suitable brackets in the framework and upper and lower bellows sections 68, 69.

. framework, and a link or pitman 72 is connected at one end to said lever and is rovided at its other end with a strap encirc the eccentric 73 on the shaft 33. lows 67 is provided withtwo sets of check valves 74, with a regulating'valve 75, and with an exhaust pipe 76 which is connected by means of a branch 77 to both of the shafts 38 and 62. These shafts are sufficiently hollow to communicate with the inner ends of the passages 63 and the passage 48, and eachof said shafts is formed with solid ortions designated 62 and 38, respective y, said solid portions acting as cut-offs of the passages 63 and 48 when the latter face each other. Hence, it will be understood that as soon as air is'automatically cut-off the stamp is presented to the face of the envelop, so as to release the same and envelop and permit the stamped envelop to slide outwardly under the guards 66. Reference is to'be had to Figs. 10, 11 and 12 for the specific construction of cut-off that may be em 10 ed.

The practical operation 0 t e various mechanisms and their correlated movement having been hereinbefore set forth in detail in connection with the details of description of structural features, we deem it unnecessary to further set forth the operation, except in a general way, after having first now described the gearing which is used in the present instance to impart motion to the various parts.

The main shaft of the machine is the shaft 33 which may be provided with a crank A to turn it, although it is obvious that any other means may be employed for this purpose. On the drive shaft 33 is fixed a tappet wheel B provided with one tooth adapted to successively engage with the teeth in the notched disk 0 on the shaft 11. As there are ordinarily at the present time, ten stamps in a strip, considered lengthwise, there are ten teeth or notches in the disk 0 to the one tooth on the tappet wheel B, so that the shaft 33 will be turned ten times to feed one stamp after another from the strip to the slip forming knife, before the shaft shall have made one complete revolution to shift the sheet quickly to the right and sever another strip. There is also on the drive shaft 33 a mutilated gear wheel D which meshes with. a similar gear wheel E on the shaft 38. I To drive the latter, there is also a spur wheel F which meshes with a similar gear wheel 'G on-the shaft 62. These two gear Wheels are so proportioned that the stamp conveyer will make two revolutions to' one revolution of the envelop conveyer cylinder 61, it being noted that the latter cylinder is formed with two sets of suction passages to one of the former.

in The beE framework a spur ge wheel. H which I meshes with a relatively smaller wheel I on the shaft of one .of the sealing rollers (59), and said shaft 60 carries a pinion which meshes with a similar pinion on the shaft 57 so as to drive the other sealing roller 58. As has been before stated, the. segment gears 56 that are adapted to effect the lifting of one envelop after another out of the rack or stack 51 are mounted on the shaft 57. Briefly considered, therefore, it will be seen that when one sheet of stamps is placed gummedside up,'on the bed 1 of the feed table and the cover 5 swung down, a turning of the crank A.to 'shiftthe sheet to the right, will then cut-off a strip of stamps from the sheet and feed them one at a time to the slip forming knife, which latter will snip off a stamp and the severed stamp will be carried around to the affixing point, while at the same time the envelop is being caught up from the rack 51, its flap is being moistened'and it is being conveyed forwardly to the same point where the stamp will be affixed to the face of the envelop and the operation completed by depositing the envelop into any desired receptacle.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is manifest that we have provided a very comprehensive and efficient machine of this character which will operate automatically and carry out the entire operation of sealing envelops and the like and affixing stamps to the sheets just as they are at present supplied from the PostOflice, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to a sheet of stamps ten by ten, or five byfive, or to any particular number of stamps, the present embodiment of the invention being illustrated for sheets of these sizes, merely because at the present time, the Government officials print the stamps on sheets of this characte While we have referred throughout the specification to our invention as improvements in means for sealing and stamping letters',-it is to'be understood that the invention is equally applicable for use as a slip or label affixer, and in the following claims, we desire it understood, that wherever the words If 77 are to e construed as comprehending slips and labels and any articles to which such slips or labels are to be applied. I

Having thus described the inventlon, what is claimed as new is: v

1. In a machine of the character descrlbed, the combination of a feed table adapted to sup ort a sheet of'stamps, a rack secured un erneath saidtable and provided v ;h a series of upwardly extending feeders proj acting through the table and adapted to engage with a sheet of stamps, means 'for raisor envelop occur, such terms ing the rack into engagement with the sheet, for shifting it in one direction in raised posi tion, for lowering the rack and then returning it in lowered position, means actuated by the rack in its lowered movement to sever a strip from the sheet, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for afiixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to support a sheet of stamps, a rack operating underneath the. table and provided with feeders projecting underneath the table and adapted to engage the sheet, means for raising the rack, shifting the rack in raised position in one direction, lowering the rack and moving it backwardly in.lowered position, the table being provided with a cutter slot, a knife adapted to work in said slot, pivoted links connectin the rack with the knife whereby the knife will be depressed when the rack is lowered so as to sever a strip from the sheet, means for feeding the strip intermittently, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for aflixing the stamp to an envelop. v

3. In amachine of the character described,

the combination of a feed table provided with a bed formed with a series of slots and a cutter slot extendin at right angles to the series of slots, a rac operating underneath the bed and provided with a series ofupright feeders worklng in said slots, said feeders being formed in their upper extremities with a spur adapted to engage a sheet of stamps laid on the bed, a knife adapted to operate in the cutter slot, means forshifting the rack towards the cutter slot in a raised position and r for lowering it and returning it in a lowered position, an operative connection between the knife and the rack whereby the lowering of the rack will effect the depression of the knife to sever a strip from the sheet, means for intermittently feeding the strip over the bed in a-direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the sheet, means for severinga stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

4. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a feed table adapted to support a sheet of stamps, a rack mounted underneath the table and provided with feeders adapted to project through the table into engagement with the sheet, levers suspended from the table and adapted to rock in a vertical plane, the rack being slidingly supported'by said levers, means for automatically raising and lowering said levers, means for shifting the rack on the levers, means for severing a strip from the sheet, means for severing stamps from the strip, and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to 5 support a sheet of stamps, a rack mounted underneath the table and provided with feeders projecting, through the table and adapted to engage the sheet, levers suspended at their outer ends from the-table and extending towards. each other and having a jointed connection, the rack being slidingly supported on said levers, one of said levers being provided with a depending arm, acam adapted to engage said arm and to raise and lower the levers, a pivoted bar connected to the rack, a cam with which said bar'enga es, said cam being adapted to shift the rack aterally, means for actuating said cams, means for severing a strip from the sheet, means for severing the stamps from the strip and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to support a sheet of stam s, means for feeding the sheet across the tab e, means for severing tently feeding the severed strip over the ta- .a strip from the sheet, means for intermitble, means for intermittently severing the stamps from the strip, an operative connection between the severing device and the strip feeding mechanism, wherebythe latter will actuate the former, and means for afiixing the stamps to envelops.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combinationof a feed table ada ted to support a strip of stamps and forme with a channel, a rack mounted underneath the table and, provided with feeders projecting upwardly lnto the channel and adapted to engage the strip, a knife mounted at one end of the table, means for reciprocatingthe rack, an arm carried by the rack and projecting forwardly therefrom, the knife being 'ormed with a lug arranged for engagement and adapted to be depressed by said arm, whereby to sever a stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the' severed stamp to an envelop.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to sup ort a strip of stamps, a rack mounted un erneath said table, a cam adapted to engage said rack and raise it into enga ement with the strip, a hooked arm pivotal y con- .nected to said rack, revoluble means provided with a pin adapted to engage said hook in its revolution and pull the rack forwardly, means for automatically releasing the arm from the pin, means for permitting the rack to lower, means whereby the said cam Wlll return the rack to its original position, means for severing a stamp from the strlp, and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop. I

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to support a stri of stam s, a feed rack operating underneat the tab e and ada ted to engage the strip to move it forwar y, an arm pivotally connected to said rack and provided at its extremity with a hook, and-intermediate of its ends with a downwardly facing cam, a revoluble. element provided with a pin adapted for engagement with said hook to pull the rack forwardly, means for raising the rack preparatory to the forward movement, and permitting the rack to lower and'for returning the rack, a stationary pin adapted to engage the cam of said pivoted arm whereby to release the hook from the revoluble element preparatory to the lowering movement of the rack, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the severed stamp to the envelop.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to support a sheet of stam s, means for feeding the sheet across the tab e, a knife bar for severing a strip from the sheet, an operative connection between the knife bar and the sheet feeding means, whereby the latter will actuate the former, means for intermittently feeding a severed strip over the table, means for intermittently severing the stamps from the stri and means for aflixing the stamps to enve ops.

I 11. In amachine of the character described, the combination of a feed table ada ted to support a sheet of stamps, means for eeding the sheet across the table, a knife bar adapted to sever a strip from the sheet, an operative connection between the knife bar and the sheet, feeding means whereby the latter will actuate the former, means for intermittently feeding the severed strip over the table, means for intermittently severing the stamps from the strip, an operative connection between the severing; device and the stri feed-' un erneath the table and provided with a series of upwardly extending feeders projecting through the table and adapted to engage vwith a sheet of stamps, means for raising the rack into engagement with the sheet for shifting it in one direction in raised position, and for lowering the rack and then returning it in lowered position, means actuated by the rack for severing a strip from the sheet, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

13; In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feed table adapted to sup ort a sheet of stamps, a rack mounted un erneath the table and provided with feeders adapted to project through the table into engagement with the sheet,' levers suspended at one end from the table and having a jointed connection at their other end, the

levers being adapted to rock in a vertical 14. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a feed table adapted to support-a strip of stamps, a strip feeding rack operating underneath the table and adapted to engage the strip to move it forwardly, the rack being formed with a depending bracket, an arm pivotally connected to said rack and provided at its extremity with a hook and in-.

termediate of its ends with a downwardly facing cam, a revoluble elementprovided with a pin designed for engagement with said hook to pull the rack forwardly, a cam designed to raise the rack preparatory to theforward movement and permitting the rack to lower, said cam being provided with means for engaging the bracket of the rack, whereby to return the rack to its original position, a stationary pin adapted to engage the cam of said pivoted arm, whereby to-release the hook from the revoluble element pre aratory to the lowering movement of the razor, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the severed stamp to anenvelop.

15. Ina machine of the character described,

the combination of a feed table adapted to support a sheet of stam s, means for feeding the sheet across the tab e, means for severing a strip from the sheet, a rack operating underneath the table and arranged to inter mittently feed the severed stri over the table, a spring retracted knife esigned to sever the stamps from the strip,-the rack being provided with means for engaging the knife durin one movement of the rack, whereby to Iower the knife into engagement with the strip and sever a stamp therefrom, and means for affixing the severed stamp to an envelop.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination of'an envelop feeder and moistener embodying spike lifters adapted to extend under the flap of an envelop, racks movable with'said feeder and moistener, segmental gears meshing with said racks and designed to raise the lifter and moistener, means for pressing the fla to the moistener, means for sealing the enve op, means for carrying the envelop to an affixing oint, means for carrying the stam to sai point, and means for moistening t e stam mits travel.

In testimony whereof we a 'X our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER M. MOYLAN. [It s] SEAB r. TRACY. [a a] Witnesses:

GENIE HURREY, E. M. M BREARTY.

ioo 

